Pre-match: International Friendly: USA vs Jamaica; June 5th 2019

If this match fits the standard pattern for friendlies before the final cut before a tournament we can expect that there will be about two positions/players that the coach is unsure of and it is reasonable to expect that the three or four "bubble" players will be called up and, if they show OK in practice, they will play pretty big minutes.

Jamaica is a poor team and, no matter who plays, we should win easily. If we cannot beat Jamaica soundly in a warm up friendly even with a "B" team, which this will not be, then we are doomed to another round of not or nearly not qualifying.

Personally I am very concerned about our defense and that is what I will be watching. If Jamaica scores, other than by a clear fluke, it will become even more concerning.

 

I wish I could go to this one

 

$29 tickets.

 

Sounds like GB has about 35 players on the radar and with some inevitably unavailable I would expect just under 30 players in camp, with a handful of cuts after the Jamaica game.

It's a shame GB didn't keep Canouse and Delgado in Jan camp. It looks to me like Adams will be better off taking care of his groin over the summer. He still isn't back with his team as of this writing. McKennie looks to be sorting out where his position is. He played rcb 90' yday for Schalke.

Here is roster v. Chile: (1-1 draw)
USA: 22-Ethan Horvath; 2-DeAndre Yedlin (capt.), 19-Matt Miazga, 3-Omar Gonzalez, 13-Tim Ream; 4-Michael Bradley, 15-Cristian Roldan (18-Jonathan Lewis, 84), 10-Christian Pulisic (17-Sebastian Lletget, 35); 20-Corey Baird (16-Daniel Lovitz, 56), 9-Gyasi Zardes (11-Jordan Morris, 79), 7-Paul Arriola (6-Wil Trapp, 66)
Substitutes not used: 12-Jesse Gonzalez, 5-John Brooks, 21-Christian Ramirez, 24-Nick Lima

Here is roster v. Ecuador (USA win 1-0)
USA: 1-Sean Johnson; 14-Tyler Adams, 23-Aaron Long, 5-John Brooks, 13-Tim Ream; 6-Wil Trapp (4-Michael Bradley, 59’), 8-Weston McKennie (15-Cristian Roldan, 68’), 10-Christian Pulisic (17-Sebastian Lletget, 62’); 11-Jordan Morris (2-DeAndre Yedlin, 68’), 9-Gyasi Zardes, 7-Paul Arriola (18-Jonathan Lewis, 77’)
Substitutes not used: 22-Ethan Horvath, 16-Daniel Lovitz, 19-Matt Miazga, 20-Corey Baird

I think GB sees most of that Ecuador starting team as his best xi( but mebbe not Ream, Johnson?)

 

Yeah! Let's sit an automatic mid-table B1 starter because while he's good enough to start in multiple positions at an elite level, he hasn't locked one down.

Conversely, your favored plebeian non-All-star MLS players couldn't make the Schalke game-day squad at any single position.

Here's a crazy idea, given that WM wants to be considered as a box-to-box 8 - why don't we use the next 18 months to give him a consistent run-out at his preferred position and give Schalke and potential buyers consistent tape of him there? There is zero question in most people's mind that he's well above Delgado, Roldan etc. at that position.

 

We definitely have quality over Jamaica. That said, I always advise caution about winning easily. They recently lost to Costa Rica 1-0; They tied South Korea last year. They beat Mexico in the Gold Cup in 2017. Shoot, they even beat Chile in 2016. We undoubtedly have more talent, but it is not always the walkover some predict.

On a side note, what is it about our defense that has you most worried? I have thought the defense looks markedly improved compared to last year. We can definitely still improve.

 

The single thing that has me most worried is that we have a tendency two or three times a match we get beat up the middle because we get caught ball watching. That is we have quite poor concentration in the middle. The other piece is that we keep calling poor players like Omar Gonzalez who was no better that average and a thug when he was at his best. If he is truly the best available at any defensive position then we are in real trouble in the defense.

Also, currently, we appear to have no real leadership on the field at the back, No filed player seems to work to keep the defense organized and the goalkeepers we have only yell at players after a mistake is made. However it is possible that the keepers are working to keep the defense organized but the defenders are ignoring what is being said or the keepers are giving bad/contradictory instructions.

Whatever the on field problem is our defense does not often play solid through an entire half much less an entire match.

 

Putting McKennie at rcb wasn't some flight of francy at Schalke. They had hired Wagner already by Sunday. Perhaps he wanted to see Wes at rcb?

"Why don't we give him a "runout" for 18 months?" you say. Why don't we buy him a pony. He hasn't showed much for us at cmid. I think he has played much better for his club than for us. If his club intend to put him at rcb, wouldn't it make more sense to put him there for USMNT as well? I think so, especially if we decide we have to go with 3 backs to cover Brooks.

--------brooks---long/miazga---mcKennie

this would allow us to play some wb's with punch and we could send one of Brooks/McKennie into the box on corners without getting killed on counters all the time because our defenders aren't back. It makes more sense than Berhalter's set up which Chile dissected forcing Ream into a 3rd cb role by the end of the game. Heck, Lovitz was playing as a 3rd cb for all practical purposes when he played for us. Why not just play the real thing when we have somebody like McKennie to do it as opposed to say, Ream or Lovitz or Adams who should be playing midfield, not back line.

 

We've spent the last 6 years building around players that McKennie has already surpassed in club accomplishments by the age of 20. How on earth are we still debating him? Put him on the field wherever he wants to play until we have 11 guys starting in the Bundesliga. This ain't hard.

 

No, Delgado is Jesus Christ. And He will Save US Soccer.

 

How is it the convo topic? We have guaranteed starters in WT or MB in the same position every match, but nope, that's just GB knowing more than us.

Our current best player moved to RB to accommodate those two? Nope, GB is just "experimenting".

Nope, we need to talk about moving our 2nd/3rd best player, already one of the most accomplished club players we have at the age of 20 or 21, to the position already manned by our current best player.

If GB and some fans have their way, we might have one of the best RB/backup RB tandems in the world.

 

To be fair to excellency, he doesn’t rate MB. He is a fan of WT, Delgado and Roldan. I’ll again say that none of them could step into the team for Schalke at any position, let alone multiple ones a la WM.

 

+ Adams.

U R right tho. I'm sure Schalke would have no problem understanding that each of the gentlemen you name are midfielders.

 

But not for Schalke or similar teams. They wouldn’t sniff the field as midfielders.

 

That flew right over your head fam. Look at Excellency's post history, and you will see he tries inserting Delgado all the time.

I'm making light of that quirk.

 

ONLY Bradley gets the special treatment. uh oh here comes Michael and Bob about to fight me because I said Michael played too much on bigsoccer.

 

#1 fan question to 3G:

How many more months or possibly years do we have to wait to see just 1 MNT roster w/o MB?

I contend that if the upcoming GC roster were to miraculously exclude MB it would generate more positive buzz that this team has seen since WC 2002.

Until then we will continue to see Pulisic/Adams/McKennie take a back seat to the MB Show, again.

 

I think that GB is building around WT rather than MB (which I would as well, if those were my only two options...) He is being politic with MB at this point IMO.

 

So we have two opposing perspectives here:

Excellency thinks that Schalke put WM in at RCB for a strategic reason - potentially that Wagner wants to see him there for next year.

Long-time Schalke fan HHF says that WM was training as a RCM but had to step in (as usual) to fill a hole created by two injuries. He's convinced that Wagner will play CM going forward.

Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen......

 

I just want to see someone like Fabian Johnson be extended a legitimate offer to come back into the fold, if he so chooses.

 

I know what you were doing, not sure how you'd think I didn't get that? I was using that and expanding on other weird arguments going on...

 

You think that will happen? I haven't seen anything to suggest it will, but maybe I've missed some GB quotes. Have any duel nats been involved?

 

I'm afraid our dual Nats have been out-dueled.

 

He should be trying to win games, not being political. Who, but MB, family, and friends cares whether or not he breaks the record. And if GB is building the team around either MB or WT, we are in for a world of hurt. He should have cut these strings right after he took over. Nothing so far has convinced me that WT is international quality...nothing personal, he seems like a nice kid. I know we have time before the next WC, but the time for experimenting should have already begun.